North Carolina Swine Industry In The Early 1900's

North Carolina ranks as the second largest hog farming state in the country. The largest amount of hog farms are located in the eastern part of North Carolina (Key Industries: Hog Farming). The North Carolina swine industry has grown into a key part of the growing economy for income as well as employment. The North Carolina swine industry has evolved from backyard production to industrialized corporations. The early 1900’s were about overcoming adversity in a time of a falling economy. Due to the falling economy many families lost their source of income and means of living. Backyard hog productions became a mainstay for many families. The Great Depression put many United States citizens in the position to fight and provide for themselves.

Backyard hog production was exactly what it sounds like, raising hogs and slaughtering them all at home. The process started obviously with a litter of farrows, the family would take what little table scraps they had and mix up slop (scraps mixed with water), and many families would raise corn and use parts of their garden to feed the hogs. After the hogs were fattened up it was killing time. Hogs were usually slaughtered during the winter, the colder it is outside the longer you have to work with the meat. Early people liked to let their hog hang for a couple days before cutting it up. Communities pitched in the help each other in the process. First the hog would be shot in the head with a lead point bullet, using a hollow point would cause the bones to shatter ruining the meat. Next the hog would be dipped in scalding water to burn the hair off the skin. After dipping the hog it must be scraped in order to remove all the hair follicles. Due to

Interesting right? Some may wonder how this is possible, well take a look at other economics of the south and a trend starts to occur. The North Carolina tobacco industry began to decline due to famers leaving the market. These farmers began looking for other products to produce as already successful businessmen many of them began hog farming. Hog farming began to be a popular trend in North Carolina until large merger businesses caught on to this successful industry. The popular trend began a decline in the number of small family owned farms. Large corporations began buying out land and small farms in the eastern part of North Carolina. North Carolina ranked 7th nationally in hog production in 1985. In 1992 Smithfield Farms built what is now the largest pork producer in the United States, located in Bladen County, North Carolina. The building of this enormous facility caused many disagreements throughout communities and government. Although the state benefitted from the pork industry it caused many environmental issues. The Swine Farm Sitting Act of 1995 required that swine farms be at least 1,500 feet from an occupied residence and 2,500 feet from a school or hospital. In 1996 President Clinton signed the Freedom to Farm Act attempting to prevent any federal support. Within two years the swine population grew to 10 million swine from just 2